Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to a solar cell and a method for manufacturing the same.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, as existing energy sources such as petroleum and coal are expected to be depleted, interests in alternative energy sources for replacing the existing energy sources are increasing. Among the alternative energy sources, solar cells for generating electric energy from solar energy have been particularly spotlighted because the solar cells have an abundant energy source that does not cause environmental pollution.
A solar cell generally includes a substrate and an emitter region, which are formed of semiconductors of different conductive types, for example, a p-type and an n-type, and electrodes respectively connected to the substrate and the emitter region. A p-n junction is formed at an interface between the substrate and the emitter region.
When light is incident on the solar cell, a plurality of electron-hole pairs are produced in the semiconductors. The electron-hole pairs are separated into electrons and holes. The electrons move to the n-type semiconductor, for example, the emitter region, and the holes move to the p-type semiconductor, for example, the substrate. Then, the electrons and the holes are collected by the different electrodes respectively connected to the emitter region and the substrate. The electrodes are connected to each other using electric wires to thereby obtain electric power.